Scale wheels and Fastrack

Thanks Mark. I'm using Fastrack switches so I'll hope someone will lend some insight. Someone in my area just put a LOT of S-Helper rolling stock on consignment at my local hobby shop. It would be nice to have some since they're such nice models.

On another note...I'm just about done converting some passenger cars to LED lighting ala Banjo Flyer. It's been an interesting and rewarding project. Thanks for posting that.

RBG

Hah...

I saw this a few hours ago before there were any replies, and I was all set to photograph a set of Weaver 2-rail trucks sitting on Fastrack to show how little the flanges look on curved railheads, and also how the narrow wheel treads barely sat on the inner edge of the top-of-rail when the opposite wheel was crammed against its raihead, insinuating that they'd go every-which-way-but-the-right-one when they hit FasTrack switch points or frogs...

Then I got distracted and came back later, refreshing the page and at that point I realize this is a post in the S-gauge subsection. Boy that would've been silly .

---PCJ

I don't do it regularly, but I have put scale wheels on my SD70 and have run it on my layout which is all FastTrack a few times.  It runs fine through the turnouts.  I have done the same with a couple of freight cars; no issues there either.  So again, very little experience doing it, but I have had no problems.

Thanks Chuck. I'm inclined to believe that scale wheels will run through Fastrack switches. If worse comes to worst, I'd just change out the wheels. I'll wait a bit and see if anyone else weighs in.

RBG

RBG,

Since my last posting above, I have been running lots of rolling stock and now an ES44 all with scale wheels and I am having no issues with all but one of my turnouts and in that case it is only with the ES44.  The SD70 does fine through the same turnout as does all of the rolling stock. 

Chuck, are you running R20 switches?  

Brendan

Yes

I put a loop of r20 up with a switch.  I ran my SD70 with the scale wheels over it.  It derails taking the diverging route.  The point rail isn't high enough to keep the flange in check.  I played around shimming it and got about 90% success rate.  I believe the 6 wheel trucks are contributing to the problem, as well. My scale wheel cars had no issues.  

Brendan